Here's the story on Whispers in the Loggia:
For the nation's approximately 30 million Hispanic Catholics, a watershed moment is expected to come as soon as tomorrow, with the appointment of one of their own as the shepherd-in-waiting of continent's largest local church.
Corroborating word given to Whispers by a church official informed of the decision, New Advent's Kevin Knight cites unnamed sources to report that Pope Benedict will name Archbishop Jose Gomez of San Antonio, 58, as coadjutor-archbishop of Los Angeles.
In the process, the native of Mexico -- the lone American bishop professed as a "numerary" (full-member) of Opus Dei -- will make history, becoming the first Hispanic prelate placed in line for a Stateside red hat.
The appointment would bring to a close several months' worth of intense consultation and speculation alike following Cardinal Roger Mahony's request for an understudy last fall. A coadjutor would first assist, then succeed the cardinal -- who turned 74 in late February -- at the helm of the 5 million member local church, its Catholic population three-quarters Latino.
Word of the impending appointment began surfacing over the weekend. Multiple calls to the LA archdiocesan spokesman made through the day remained unreturned as of press time.
Born in Monterrey and ordained for Opus Dei in 1978, Gomez served in Texas from 1987 in both Houston and San Antonio. A former executive director and president of the National Association of Hispanic Priests, in 2001 Pope John Paul II named him an auxiliary to Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, then rocketed him into the lone senior US post customarily held by a Latin cleric on his appointment to San Antonio in late 2004.
In the USCCB, the archbishop serves as chair of the bench's Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church and the body's Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America; in the latter capacity, Gomez led a three-bishop delegation to quake-ravaged Haiti to assess the situation in early March.
A tech and media-savvy prelate committed to the late pontiff's vision of a New Evangelization for the church, Gomez's vision of the church was thoroughly expressed in You Will Be My Witnesses a February pastoral letter "on the Christian Mission" published on his fifth anniversary as head of the 850,000-member San Antone church.
SVILUPPO: Additional confirmation given... Official: press conference scheduled for 10am PT tomorrow at Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
10 comments:
Why? Is it because now he's leaving San Antonio and there's still a lot of work left to do? He's Opus Dei, he's been a champ compared to his predecessor, he's supported the TLM, and he's solid in bio/social issues, unlike the man he'll succeed. Best of all, he's outside of Mahony's Magic Circle, which means Mahony's vise-like grip on episcopal nominations in the West will soon hopefully be just a very painful memory.
Anonymous, I'm not thrilled with the news because we LIKE him. We don't want him to leave!!!
Now we must pray for him like never before.
Is there a bigger mess, or a tougher job, in the entire Church?
This seemed strongly rumored a few months back, and then speculation shifted a couple of times. I guess we'll soon know for sure. I'd prefer that Cardinal Mahony would have first turned in his resignation, as I recall the mess in Dallas when a co-adjutor was appointed and the bishop refused to resign. I can't imagine that the Cardinal will allow the Archbishop to make many changes prior to his own retirement.
Rocco had him seeded as one of the number ones in the episcopal March Madness bracket he posted about a month ago. (Very clever.)
And, like a certain NCAA number one seed which also prevailed tonight, apparently he's pulled it out.
I hate to see him go, too. But I can't imagine His Holiness following up a Gomez with a goofball.
One Rosary, coming up.
New Advent has the Photoshop.
Sorry; that was Sancte Pater commentary over the New Advent article.
Having attended Good Friday Service at San Fernando before the evening Tenebrae at Atonement, I can tell you that the Liturgy was reverent with the Archbishop laying on the floor before the altar and kissing the ground. Let us pray that the Holy Father send us a good and holy Archbishop who favors a reverential Mass where we kneel to receive Holy Communion and use the patent as acknowledgement of the True Presence of Christ. Let us pray that we receive an Archbishop who understands the staggering need for theologically sound catechesis after decades of feel good junk food and new age nonsense. Let us pray that we receive an Archbishop who understands the importance of saving our catholic schools;we desperately need these children to be future ethical leaders in a world that is increasingly hostile to Christian values. Mary, Help of Christians, please protect and bless the archdiocese of San Antonio!
San Antonio's loss will result in a huge gain for Catholics all over the U.S. For any Catholics who may have managed to perdure 25 years of Roger Mahony, this will be like release from purgatory!
I can understand your sadness in his leaving, but Los Angeles has had to deal with Mahony for over two decades and it is time for California to released from bondage.
I will pray that the Holy Father sends you a good and holy Bishop to replace him.
I also pray that some of the Anglicans in California will rethink their decision not to become Catholics under the Ordinariate with the new Archbishop at the helm.
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